Monday, January 12, 2009

(Just In Case You Missed It...)

Top 10 Albums of 2008

10. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow StairsThey're Death Cab For Friggin' Cutie, okay? They had tosneak in there. Honestly, I think I fell in love with thebright, melodic riffs and hooks of this well-produced albumin the first few months after it was released. Since then,though, I've found myself becoming more un-stunned byits plain nature. If I wrote this list back in May, though,this album would have made number one. There's somethingthat becomes a little 'ho-hum' about this work the moreit rotates in my stereo. But still - come on - they madethe cut. They're Death Cab For FREAKING Cutie.Who releases an 8 minute song as their first single?I'll tell you who - Death Cab For FU*KING CUTIE!

9. Mark Knopfler & Emmy Lou Harris - All The RoadrunningI've had a bit of a 'thing' for Mark Knopfler for some time, now.I have always had a deep respect for his style of guitar-ismwhen he was with Dire Straits and although this was a choiceof my wife's when she was cruising through some new releases,this album deserves a little street cred. Emmy Lou singsher blessed little heart out and Mark rasps along besideher and plucks away at his tempered, steely guitar sound.This album is a little short on depth but long on listeningpleasure. It is served best on a highway (preferrably aninterstate) with long stretches of flat, prairie land.8. Sigur Ros -Meo Suo I Eyrum Vio Spilum EndalaustDespite some hilarious personal references to album arton the cover and the fact that this album came out in thesummer (ahem), Sigur Ros (though they intimidate the heckout of me with their weird, non-existent Icelandicdialogue) continues to do what they do best. They buildsoundscapes and life theme-songs that are unparallelwith any other artist of today (save for maybe Radiohead).My wife bought this album and although I have onlyheard its full spool-through a few times, it is a conceptuallybeautiful collection of music. I just wish I could understandwhatever it is that they're talking about...but maybe Idon't need to? Therein lies the beauty and the mystery ofSigur Ros.

7. Stars - Sad Robots (EP)This was a bit of a difficult album to put in my top 10,seeing as:a. It's not really an album - it's an EPb. I don't even know if anybody heard about itbecause it was released super-silently.

Regardless, though, seeing Torq Cambell and Miss Millanlive a few months back at the Bronson Centre made mydecision as clear as day. I hadn't heard any songs on thisEP before seeing the show...and that's what made themas bold and intense as they are. 'A Thread Cut With ACarving Knife' is, in my opinion, on the best Stars' songsof all time as it builds, changes and thrusts into anoblivion of textured instrumentation and passionatevocals about living for today. As soap-boxy as he canbe at times, Torq Campbell is a prime performer who wantshis listeners to notice their surroundings, as opposed tothe 'sad robots' whom we all know and come into contactwith from time to time.6. Sloan - Parallel PlayThe boys are back in town - or were back in town with therelease of this new Andrew-heavy disc. After interviewingJay Ferguson back in the spring about Sloan, where they'vecome from and where they are going, I couldn't help butappreciate this well layered work that basically sums upthe band's existence to date. Chris Murphy drives theballs-out rock train, Andrew labours and crafts awayintensely at his weird yet wizardly songs, Patrick blastshis arena-rock fuzz for all to love and wave their armsto and Jay Ferguson carefully plucks flowers in the fieldof his mind where he smokes out cinammon puffs fromthe candy cigarettes that are his songs. All in all, for a bandI've admired for over a decade now, this is a 'piece deresistance' from Sloan to date and it worth aserious listen.

5. Weezer - The Red AlbumTrue to their form, Weezer continues to be a curveball orslider pitch of the music world. You just never know whatyou'll get with these guys. Stepping back from being acreative control freak, Cuomo actually let some of theother bandmates write some songs of this album...andthey're actually decent! Honestly, though, the song thatsold me on this disc was 'Pork And Beans' as it prettymuch sums up Rivers Cuomo's entire philosophy aboutthe music industry:'I'm gonna do the things that I want do/I ain't got a thing to prove to you/...'I just love how millions of music-snobs look at the waythese guys do their thing and say 'What the...?' and yetthey still remain successful. Go get 'em, Weez. Wheneveryou finish your tour of primary colours for album names,I'll still be listening.

4. Brendan Canning - Something For All Of Us

I know - Broken Social Scene brain-washed me and paysme to write good reviews of their music. Ha ha. Funny.The reality is that seldom few can create such an anamolyof and array of sound like these folks can. BrendanCanning, too, stepped up as more of a background bassistand released a front-man batch of very well-crafted songs.Sometimes, the feel of this album rests a little too heavyon the shoulders of older Girls Against Boys tunes butthat's just fine with me. Most of the songs are drivenby terse, driving bass-lines (sometimes distorted,sometimes not) but they all usually explode into someepiphany of sound. Canning's disparate and patchy lyricsare all about community as he truly doles out 'SomethingFor All Of Us'.

3. Coldplay - Viva La Vida/Prospekt's MarchColdplay! I KNOW! I'm such a massive sell-out. It's disgusting.Despite being pegged by Pitchfork as 'yet another band whosold out to sound engineer Brian Eno to change their creativedirection', say what you will - but we all know that Coldplayhas it where it counts. I was expecting to be VERYhum-drummed by this release but I've found that it getsmore play in my iPod than many other artists. The intricatelydigitalized songs of this album have an unparallel sound thatI crave a lot of the time. Chris Martin and crew are incrediblygood at what they do and they have done very well to evadeany sort of traps of the music industry. Ask anyone who hasattended a recent liveshow and they'll all say the same thing -'The quality of sound made it seem like a live playing of thealbum except way louder and WAY better.' There maynot be much room for live improv...but to have millions ofpeople say the same thing about their live performancesis pretty friggin' incredible.

2. Silver Speakers - Streetlights And Stars

Conflict of interest? Reviewing an artist who is on my recordlabel? I don't give a DAMN. Yeah, that's right. Suck it.Tyrone Warner is a great song-writer and deserves somejust desserts. In a tiny Toronto beer-garden-like pub, backin September, I got the chance to hear the live cd releaseof this album and it has vacuumed my sub-conscious eversince. Each word drips with meaning and the songs arerife with faith-searching 'meaning of life' type stuff. 'Are YouOnly In My Head' is one of most hauntingly beautiful songsI have ever heard as the guitars and keys cascade the listenerthrough a valley of sound and light. The only reasons whyI couldn't give SS the #1 nod are...well...obviously, he's afriend of mine and that's a little bias...and because he wasforced (due to resource restraints) to use a drum machinewhich draws away from the magnificence of the songs, attimes. Better luck next year, T-money.

1. Matt Mays & El Torpedo - Terminal RomanceI know what you're thinking and the answer is 'No! - I don'tonly review East-Coast artists or musicians I've interviewed'okay? Back off. There just really wasn't a massive numberof albums released this year...but THIS one by THIS dudetakes the cake of rock and eats it, wholesale - candles andall. Pulling a reverse of what 'Narrow Stairs' did to me,I didn't really care much for this album when I first heardit. The fabric of Great Canadian ballad-rock, though, weavesthis album together into a finely tangled mesh of sweaty shirtsand plaid-jacket, pine-tree highway visions. Matt Mayshas shown, once again, that he is a superbly talentedsongwriter and speaks of the traps that are romanceswhich have become disastrous diseases. What I love mostabout this album and MM&ET, though, is that Matt is nevertrying to be something he is not.He is a rocker - through and through. In an interview Iconducted with him (that he later invited me to the showafterwards), he said 'I just love guitar riffs, man. Is thatwrong?' This album blasts out of the gate with the throat-ramming riff that brings 'Building A Boat' to life andtrucks full throttle right into the Springsteen-esqueballad mid-point of 'Terminal Romance' and keeps a-rollin.This album is not for the folky hyper-instrumentalizedSufjan lovers or for the indie-whistling 'everyone-wants-to-be-the-flaming-lips' listeners either. It is heavy likelead - and it will change you.